Russian Queens

[cowboygourmet]

Is there anything special about Russian Queens?  I have noticed some folks looking for the girls and was just wondering about them???
 

[AllenF]

The russians have been around mites longer than the bees here so russian bees have adapted to them and have a better survival rate with them.    (fine print note.   some russians are a little more hot headed than the average bees,  some anyways.)

[VolunteerK9]

Russians also go into winter with a smaller cluster size and are a little more frugal with their stores therefore not requiring a huge store of overhead honey to survive. Ive got a Russian hive that I bought as a package so the jury is still out until next year. I dont think they are as quick to build up either as some of the other breeds.

[Michael Bach]

I dont think they are as quick to build up either as some of the other breeds.

The thing with russians is they wont build number up very fast on syrup.  The need natural nectar.  When there is a stong flow, russians will build up very fast.  Much faster than other breeds.  In a strong flow I have run three deeps with supers to accomodate.  Russian can swarm more than one a year and even a 1st year package can swarm.

The queen shuts down laying much sooner in the fall that other breeds.  This could also be a added benefit the varroa battle.  That also leads to the small winter cluster.  They dont need to be as heavy int he winter.  I have seen russians survive a mild new england winter on 20lbs of honey and 30lbs in a normal winter.

[tsmullins]

The Russian honeybee is basically a Carniolan whose range overlapped the mites for a hundred years or so. 

One of my new hives are Russians.  They where started as a nuc.  Our Russians are extremely gentle and fly at cooler temps than our other bees.  We had temps that where about 20 degrees below normal for a few days last week, and the Russians would be flying out flying well before our other bees.  I have only had them for two weeks.

Russians and Carniolans are both known swarmers. 

Shane